Thinking with Animals: New Perspectives on Anthropomorphism

Lorraine Daston and Gregg Mitman

Paper, 240 pages, 41 illus.
ISBN: 978-0-231-13039-4
$27.00 / £18.50

March, 2005
Cloth, 240 pages, 41 illus.
ISBN: 978-0-231-13038-7
$77.50 / £53.50

"Thinking with Animals...will surely join the growing literature on consciousness, animal cognition, and the continuity between human and animal minds." — Juliet Clutton-Brock, Nature

"Thoughtful and well researched... The interdisciplinary nature of this collection makes it a valuable addition." — Robert B. Ridinger, E-Streams

"An interesting and elegantly produced book." — Alan Costall, Anthrozoos

"Thinking with Animals provides a much-needed multidisciplinary and cross-cultural discussion about how we describe, explain, and come to a better understanding of the behavior, minds, and emotional lives of other animals. Anthropomorphism has survived a wide variety of onslaughts and is here to stay. It isn't 'bad' and, when used properly, anthropomorphism can increase our appreciation of animals for who they are - what it is like to be a particular animal - and also aid indesigning future behavioral studies." — Marc Bekoff, University of Colorado, editor of Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior

"This engaging and provocative collection illuminates the issues raised by anthropomorphism, which (whether acknowledged or not) is at the core of most human attempts to understand our relationship with other animals, by juxtaposing the insights of scholars, scientists, and artists." — Harriet Ritvo, MIT, author of The Platypus and the Mermaid: And Other Figments of the Classifying Imagination

"In a book that covers everything from Hindu thought to film and photography, from nineteenth century vivisection to pet keeping and philosophy, this is the most original and subtle exploration of anthropomorphism to date. In the increasing numbers of publications on human-animal relations currently appearing, this collection stands out as essential reading." — Jonathan Burt, author of Animals in Film, cofounder of U.K.'s Animal Studies Group

Related Subjects

• Animal Studies

About the Author

Lorraine Daston is director at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science and honorary professor at the Humboldt-Universität, Berlin. Gregg Mitman is William Coleman Professor of the History of Science and professor of medical history and science and technology studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

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